Means for launching boats from ships.



M. CROOKS. MEANS FOR LAUNCHING BOATS FROM SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I6. 1915.

Patented Aug. 13; 1918.

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MEANS FOR LAUNGHING BOATS FROM SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. |6 915. Patented Aug; 13, 19-18.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

MOFFAT CROOKS, OF ENFIELD WASH, PONDERS END, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR IIAUNCHING BOATS FROM SHIPS To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MOFFAT CROOKS, armorer staff sergeant, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of'52 Putney road, Enfield Wash, Ponders End, Middlesex, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Means for Launching Boats from Ships, of which the following is the specification.

This (invention relates to improvements in or relating to launching mechanism for ships lifeboats and particularly to means whereby thesaid boats may be automatically lowered and released.

The object of my invention is to provide means for more safely and eflectively launching ships boats, whereby the loss of life frequently occurring by overcrowding of the lifeboats so causing them to be swamped. on entering the water, may be prevented, and consists in automatically lowering the said boats when each contains the number of passengers it is designed to carry. A further object of this invention comprises the employmentof a plurality of floats arranged around the boat and adapted to release the said boat at the moment it becomes buoyant.

In carrying my invention into effect I support the lifeboat in a cage or cradle the said cage or cradle being provided with preferably four hooks or the like, adapted to pass through eyes or the like attachments secured in any suitable way to the lifeboat.

The said hooks after passing through the eyes are locked in position by hooks, keys, or the like, placed through suitably formed slots in the said supporting hooks. These said locking hooks are provided with a long shank or extension adapted to depend out wardly on the outside of thesaid boat. On the end of the said shank or extension I provide a float of wood, cork, or other suitable buoyant material, adapted to hang slightly lower than the keel of the boat.

Attached to the said cage is a supporting or lowering cable which cable passes over a davit or arm and thence to a drum upon which it is wound. 1

The s'aiddrum is rotatably mounted upon a shaft between suitable bearings and has formed therewith a brake drum of suitable construction. Embracing the said brake drum is a spring loaded band brake, so arranged asto prevent the lowering drum from rotating until a predetermined load isplaced Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

Application filed March 16, 1915. Serial No. 14,709. i

porting cage will tend .to float and movethe said locking hook or hooks upwardly out of engagement. This disengagement will not take place until the weight suspended upon the hooks of the cage is released due to the boat becoming buoyant. As soon as this takes place the release floats will come up to the surface of the water, thereby releasing the hooks of the cage and leaving the lifeboat free. p

In order to prevent the lifeboatrbeing released or shifted due to rough weather, and

to prevent undue stress uponthe band brake I provide means for locking the lowering drum when not in use. This locking device may be of any suitable construction, and it is preferably connected to a plate or board on the deck-side of the vessel in such a manner that the action of a person stepping upon the said plate, throws the said locking device out of engagement with the said lowering drum leaving the drum free to rotate when the predetermined load to be carried by the boat, is reached.

The davit or arm over which the support} ing cable passes is preferably placed at an 7 angle to the vertical plane in order that it may swing outwardly when the boat is being lowered. V

I provide a channel or the like at the side -of the vessel having a rod or connecting piece or the like forming a guide for the supporting cage, in order to prevent the boat being smashed by striking againstthe side of the vessel, and also to prevent it being launched broadside on. Stowing arms having two hooks depending outwardly from the side of the ship are v provided in order to hold the boat in position against the ships side when not use.

And in order that my invention maybe clearly understood, reference should be made tothe appended sheets of drawings in which" Figure I is an elevation of a portion of the side oi a vessel showing the lifeboat in its normal position.

Fig. 2 is an end View of, the boat shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe lifeboat shown in Fig. 1.

Fig; 4:. shows one form ofdavit which may be employed in connection with this invention.

Fig. 5 is a section of, the boat-carrying cradle or cage shown on a larger'scale to illustrate more clearly the releasing mechan c a Fig. 6 is an elevation of the lowering drum. Y

Fig. 7 shows the position of the board or plate mounted upon the deckrail ot the vessel for releasing the locking mechanism of thelowering druin; J i

Fig. 8 shows the end portion of the lowering drum to a larger scale to illustrate the locking device.

Fig. 9 is an end view drum shown in Fig. 8.

Fig; 10 illustrates a second method of supporting the lifeboat from two'davits instead of one as previously illustrated.

of the lowering Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3; A is the lifeboat oi usual and known construction supported by a cage or cradle B. The said cage or cradle is provided" with four sup porting arms or lugs' having' eyes, slots or the like B through which hooks C are adapted to pass. The said hooks'are c011- ne'cted by ineansof chains D to "a common ring whiclris secured in the usual manner 'to the supporting 'ropeE.

Each of the supporting, hooks C after passing" through the eyes/B. (Fig. 5) are locked"in position by hooks or keys H placed through theholes or slots cut in: the said supporting hooks G The: said looking" hooks H are provided with" a long downwardly depending shank or. extension which isadaptedfto hang on the outside of the boat. A i

I provide at the end of the said shank or eXtensionH a float H of suitable buoyant material adapted to hang slightly lower than the keel 'of the boat. ii

The supporting "rope or cable E passes froin thedavit F tothe lowering drums, upon which it is wound. l

The said drum (shown on a larger scale in Fig. 6) is mounted between suitable bearings G G and i s p'ro videdf at one end with a drum L embracingwhieh is a band brake L l The said bandfbrake'is provided at one end with aspiring L? ofsuch load and so arranged as to prevent the drum G from rotating until a predetermined load is put upon the supporting cable El 7 Thisload is the 1 weight of the boat when containing the number of passengers that it is designed to carr with safety. When thereforeithe boat contains this number the load will overcome the friction of the hand brake L on the lowering druinGr and the boat will. be slowly lowered until it reaches the surface of the water." On the boat reaching the water the floats H attached to the locking hooks H of the supporting cage B will tend to fioat and n ovethe said locking hooks upwardly out of engagement. As soon as this takes place the supporting hooks C of the cage will be released; and the lifeboat will be eft f e In order to prevent unduestress upon the hand; brake L 1 provide means for locking the lowering drum G when not in use. This locking device shown in Figs. Sand 90011- sjists of pivotally mounted arm or'lever S, havinga pin S at its end adapted to engage suitably formed. holes or slots S? in the end plate of the lowering drum G. The spring S keeps the pin S normally in engagement with one of theholes S The lever S is connected by means of a wire or cable R to a plate or board Tmounted upon the deckrail of the vessel (see Fig. 7) in such manner that the action of a person stepping upon the said plate will movethe lever S and the pin S out ofengagement with the holes or slots S thus leaving the drum. G. free to rotate when the prede termined load is exerted upon the cable.

In order to prevent the lever S resuming its normal position when theboard T is re-' leased, I provide a short bolt or the like V (Fig. 9) mounted in a bearing V and provided with a spring V adapted to abut against a shoulder V causing the end of the bolt V to abut against the levers. The position ofthe bolt, V is such that on the lever Sibeing pulled back thespring bolt V will be released and will intercept the said lever in such manner that it will be prevented from regaining its normal position.

I provide a channel W, preferably of T- section atthesideo'f the vessel down which a' block is adapted to slide. The said block is connected by means of a rod or the like Q. to the supporting cage A in such manner to prevent "the boat being being launched broadside on.

' Stowing arms P are provided and depend outwardly -dbwnwai dly fronithe' side: of the vessel'and areco'nnected by means or smashed by striking the side of the vessel or short links 0 to the said snpporting' cage,

Ward or lowering position is provided to prevent said davit swinging farther than the desired distance.

Fig. 10 shows a modification of this arrangement in which two davits are employed for the purpose of supporting and lowering the said boat.

In this arrangement the supporting cable may be conveniently wound upon separate drums mounted upon a common spindle and controlled by one brake in such manner that each end of the boat will be lowered simultaneously and will therefore remain in horizontal position when being lowered.

As illustrated in Fig. 5 the name of the vessel to which the boats are attached may be painted or stamped upon each releasing float in order that should the vessel founder at sea, these said floats may be a means of identification.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is p 1. Launching mechanism for ships boats including a drum and a boat supporting cable connected with the drum, in combination with means constructed and arranged to hold the drum against rotation and acting automatically to permit rotation of the drum when a predetermined weight is applied to the cable.

2. Launching mechanism for ships boats including a drum and a boat supporting cable connected therewith, in combination with an automatic friction brake operatively associated with the drum, said friction brake being adjusted to hold the drum against rotation, and actin automatically to permit a gradual unwin ing of the cable from the drum when a predetermined weight is applied to the cable.

8. Launching mechanism for ships boats including a drum and a boat supporting cable connected therewith, means for positively locking the drum against movement including a ivoted lockingmember, a spring acting to maintain the locking member in looking engagement withthe drum, manually operable means for mOViIlg the locking member out of engagement with the drum, a sliding latch for said locking member said latch being adapted to rest against the looking member when the locldng member is in locking engagement with the drum, a spring acting to maintain the latch in position against the locking member and move the latch in the path of the locking member to hold the lockin member in an inoperative position.

4:. The combination with a ship of boat launching apparatus including a drum, a boat supporting cable connected therewith, locking means for holding the drum against movement, a member pivotally supported and operatively connected with said looking means, said member being adapted to be actuated to release the locking means by a person stepping thereupon, and means acting automatically to engage and hold said locking means out of locking engagement with the drum.

5. Launching apparatus for ships boats including boat supporting and lowering mechanism acting automatically to lower the boat when it contains a specified number of passengers.

6. An apparatus for launching boats, in combination with a ship having a vertically extending guide way on the exterior thereof, of a drum, a boat supporting cable connected therewith, a boat supporting cradle arranged to embrace the sides of a boat and connected with said supporting cable, a member slidably engagin a link pivotafy connected with the said boat supporting frame and with the said member, substantially as described.-

MOFFAT CROOKS.

Witnesses:

.J. D. Roors,

O. J. WORTH.

Copies 0! thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0.

the said vertical guide and 

